


Tradition

by TheLadyMuse



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: AU of an AU, F/M, Kaotic312, Stolen Heir
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-15
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2019-04-23 02:22:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14322462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLadyMuse/pseuds/TheLadyMuse
Summary: Of all the Eldar, the Silvan tend to be the most wild, and even they have their traditions.(An alternate take on Tauriel turning away Legolas in chapter 35 of Kaotic312's Stolen Heir, because why not? But it also is overdramatic, and Glorfindel finds the family he never knew he had)





	Tradition

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Stolen Heir](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2212704) by [kaotic312](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaotic312/pseuds/kaotic312). 



> -If Kaotic asks for this to come down, it does  
> -I'm kind of combining a headcanon or two with a fancy, so go with me  
> -probably OOC even for SH so I hope you at least enjoy it  
> -the bolded text is from SH to give you a jumping point  
> -Vilessariel: Vil-ES-sari-el (also Vilya for short)  
> -Kariel/Nariel: Care-iel, Narr-iel

**"What does your new braid mean, Tauriel? How does it mark you, among these Dwarves?" Legolas spoke up for the first time since they'd all arrived from the healing halls. His voice sounded like the question was of no import, but very few were fooled.**

**Suddenly the teasing mood evaporated completely away.**

**Unfortunately Brunere had no clue who he was other than an important visitor. "It marks her as nashatal." Then the dwarrowdam's eyes widened with trepidation as all the collected dwarrow and elves turned varying degrees of glares upon her. "I …think I should dismiss myself." She stuttered lightly, wondering what she'd done wrong.**

**"No." Tauriel spoke up quietly. "It is no secret." She touched the braid on the side of her head.**

**Fili shook his head, his own braids moving with his motion. He stared at the Mirkwood prince steadily as he spoke. "She has declared that she is seeking courtship. Kili has declared himself to be courting her. She has accepted." He rather grinned at the words, no signs of any hesitations or embarrassment. In fact, he rather looked like he enjoyed poking at the blond elven prince. Truthfully, it was more a baring of teeth than an actual smile of any kind.**

**Legolas looked so pale that he might be in need of the healing halls themselves. He stared at the braid with loathing, and something akin to jealousy. "And if someone else were to …declare himself interested in courting her?"**

**Fili frowned. He hadn't expected that question. He looked uncertainly over at his uncle as if for advice.**

**Balin stirred and Thorin actually frowned, although it was the white-haired royal counselor that spoke up first. "She is nashatal. Any can present her with a sigil, or a sign that he has interest. She can either accept or turn him away." His voice sounded hesitant at the end.**

**Tauriel held her breath, confused. This couldn't be what it sounded like?**

**"But surely, turning someone away without due consideration would be considered a rudeness?" Legolas' words halted them all.**

**Celeborn and Glorfindel shared a quick look, and possibly a few words within the privacy of their own minds. Yet, whatever their thoughts, they did not speak up.**

**Thorin scowled at the prince who had once been his captor. Still a youth despite the number of years he'd seen thus far. Older the elf might be, but the dwarvish king couldn't help but see him as someone who was still young. And whose father was an ally. A very TENTATIVE ally.**

**Balin scratched his beard and tried to appear at ease. He was only partly successful. "We don't tell our females, or even those of any race, who they can or cannot choose to allow to court them. Not even to avoid appearing …rude."**

**"Of course not." The tone was bland. "I merely want to know the meaning behind the braid my friend wears, and how it works."**

**"You've known your friend for several hundred years." Thorin pointed out in a rumbling growl of displeasure.**

**Legolas held out his hands, admitting the obvious.**

**Fili cleared his throat before he spoke up this time. "You could have shown interest at any time in those few hundred years."**

**"Perhaps losing something shows a person just how deep their feelings go." Legolas turned his eyes solely upon Tauriel.**

**The she-elf held still, feeling like she was caught in a trap. She shook her head. "Your father …."**

**"Does not concern me." Legolas said firmly, his eyes fairly blazing with the seriousness of his thoughts. "Recent events have shown me that I need to make my own way, make my own choices, live my own life."**

**Green eyes blinked as she broke away, turning to stare at the door beyond which was a certain dark-haired mixed-blood prince. "Your timing is …."**

**"Do not turn away before you even hear me out." Legolas pressed further.**

**Fili turned wild eyes onto his uncle, trying to will him into stopping whatever was going on.**

**Thorin frowned sharply. What Balin had said was true. Dwarves did NOT pressure females into courtship …or out of it. It was the choice of the dam. Or elf, in this case. He snuck a glance at Glorfindel, who was staring at the ceiling and trying hard not to look at anyone. "Coward." The king growled.**

**Glorfindel blew out a soft whistle. And didn't meet his eyes.**

**"All I ask, is that you listen." Legolas looked around the gathering of elves and dwarves. "Hear me, see me." It was as close to a plea as he could get without shattering his pride completely.**

Tauriel considered that, before thoughts and a memory tumbled within her.

_Her cousins, Vilessariel and Nariel were milling with their husbands, voices hushed. Kariel, their mother and her mother's cousin was alternately trying to keep peace and give her own opinion. Tauriel was too young to understand much of it, but she did understand that they were talking about the ancestors. They had many, including a stone-singing Firebeard princess, the Witch-King of Angmar, and Sylvariel and Ithilias, the Elves for whom the Silvan were named._

_Being the ruling house of the Sylvan had never been more than a duty, and not one Tauriel was privy to. She was too far removed, too young and far too babied to be expected to take up such a mantle. Not while Sylvariel, her elder daughter Kariel and her granddaughters lived._

_And now, they were talking about Ones. About Names. How all the numerous women of their line had married for love, to a male who completed them._

_Kili._

_Kuilaith._

Exhaling, Tauriel regarded her former Prince. She was unaware of the way her eyes flashed, but not of the way the stone sang beneath her feet as it hadn't until she remembered her ancestress, the one who'd given her her hair. Steepling her fingers, eyes narrowing, she would have made her denouncement immediately when her kinswoman, Vilessariel, strode around the corner, having heard what was said, the furious she-elf snapped

"You should gift him an answer, little sister-kin." Truthfully, Tauriel was only surprised at the timing. Vilya, as she was known to the family, was the wife of Haldir, a Lothlorien Marchwarden, and had undoubtedly been commanded by her grandmother- Tauriel's great-great grandmother- to investigate. Unlike Tauriel, Vilya was only descended of the Witch-King, dark hair plaited down her back and delicate features suggesting Sindarin or Noldori heritage, not Silvan. 

Instead of asking what her elder cousin was doing there, now of all times, Tauriel simply explained

"Legolas, son of Thranduil, son of Oropher, wishes to question my courting Kuilaith, son of Elladan, son of Celebrian and Elrond." Vilessariel paused, eyes narrowing, she barked 

"You cannot mean-" Raising a hand, Tauriel only nodded, saying quietly

"He makes me feel real, sister-kin." Licking her lips and ignoring the staring onlookers, Vilessariel reminded her ruthlessly

"Luthien. Beren. Celebrimbor. Feanor." Eyes wide, Tauriel countered

"Angmar. Mizimbar. Ithilias. Sylvariel.  _Kariel."_  Glorfindel started at the last name. But, fingers curling into graceful fists, Vilessariel knocked them together and said carefully

"You walk a dangerous road, sister-kin. Do you have the words?" Annoyed, now, Tauriel informed her cousin

"I have always had the words, I just never knew..." Brows raised, Vilessariel switched to Silvan 

"That he would become so much so quickly?" Nodding, Tauriel said 'the words', also in Silvan

"Oak and Stone, Blood and Bone, a home like you've never known." Sighing in defeat, Vilessariel said gently

"I'll inform my mother's mother and father on my way, then." Shaking her head, Tauriel replied with equal gentleness

"Glorfindel is before you, sister-kin." Confused, Vilessariel looked over at Lord Celeborn and Glorfindel, clearing her throat before she sketched a shallow bow and intoned

"My apologies for not introducing myself, my lord. I am Vilessariel, the daughter of Kariel of the Silvan and Glorfindel the Balrog-Slayer, and wife of Haldir of Lothlorien." Both cousins ignoring the awed and or skeptical looks the newcomer received, Vilessariel adding as an aside to Tauriel

"Do you have anything to personally recommend him to my mother's mother?" Toying with her braid, Tauriel nodded and murmured, to the approval of Folk of Durin present

"He's an archer, fantastic for his age and self-trained, more so since his father and uncle stepped in to train him. Blooded in the custom of dwarrow, as used to surviving as even the most common Silvan, good in a forge, but far kinder than would be expected. He lives up to the expectations of his people. Proud, strong, graceful. A Prince of his people, by blood and deed on all sides." Vilessariel nodded thoughtfully, shooting a look at a flabbergasted Legolas before commenting

"Grandmother would be hard pressed to find better, sister-kin. When you're ready, send for the chalice, I'll let her know to expect it."

Stunned, Tauriel stepped back. But Vilessariel only smiled and gestured to Legolas, winking at her red-haired kinswoman before rocking onto her back foot. Clearing her throat, Tauriel met Legolas' eyes again, resolve now adamantine.

"Legolas Thranduilion, of the line of Oropher, I have heard you." When he opened his mouth to speak, she made a cutting motion with her hand and continued

"You would ask me what Kili of Erebor, Kuilaith of Lothlorien and Imladris can offer me that you cannot. You would ask me to consider your suit." Legolas nodded, somewhat eager now. Not noticing Vilessariel's smirk, which was somewhat reminiscent of the elf she claimed as her sire.

Balin, however, did. As did Thorin, Fili, Brunere, Celeborn, Glorfindel, Bofur and Elrohir. Tauriel's eyes flashed once more before she said in a tone far gentler than even her non-lethal cousin beside her

"He makes me laugh. He makes me  _care._ In the words of my ancestress,  _he breathes._ Even after he is gone, I will remember him, until I've Faded away, for he cares in return, would love me in return. He is not you, and you are not him, and I am  _glad of it, Legolas._ You know battle, and loss, yes, but you do not know mortality, family and brotherhood of arms as he does. He has earned it, as have I." Vilessariel's hand patted Tauriel's shoulder before she murmured

"Enough. Do not spill all our secrets at once, especially not..." Closing her eyes, Tauriel visibly collected herself and answered

"To the line of Oropher." When Legolas only appeared more hurt by that, not less, Vilessariel explained

"Oropher did what was right at the time, but when Smaug attacked... Lady Sylvariel and Lord Ithilias begged your father to render aid, to permit them to render any kind of assistance to the Longbeards of Erebor in memory of their Firebeard daughter by marriage, now long passed. All he would permit was for their soldiers to escort through the Greenwood the survivors." Turning to her cousin, Tauriel demanded

"Is that why Noriel was in the cells when I returned?" Frowning, still ignoring the gaping faces of the dwarrow, Vilessariel answered

"I'm unsure. I know Lord Ithilias was furious because Dagad, Noriel's husband, was a Ranger approaching the end of his life and Thranduil denied Nory the time to care for him as he lived out his days. Lady Sylvariel negotiated a swap and Dagad passed not long later. Mother tried to help her keep from Fading but with Dagad gone and the children grown, it didn't take long for her to go." Nodding, Tauriel returned her gaze to Legolas and added mildly

"I'll always be your friend, my Prince, but you would have asked for more long ago if you loved me as deeply as you think."

-

Legolas stormed away, but Glorfindel didn't care. He looked at the she-elf, supposedly his daughter by Kariel, the elf-maid he'd married not long before the Balrog. Her face was built like his, but her colouring was Kariel's. Even the final cast of her features was her mothers, his finer lines softened by the bluntness of Kariel's nose and jaw, the high forehead and deep brown hair sunstreaked with gold achingly familiar. But her eyes... they were not Noldori blue, or the same green as her cousin. They were the same violet Kariel had told him came from her mother. From the colour to the shape all the way to her lashes, they were Kariel.

Vilessariel studied her father. As the spouse of a Marchwarden of Lothlorien, she had heard rumours of a member of Elrond's household being named Glorfindel. She had dismissed them partly because she was busy, partly because her mother had suffered enough after her father fell. Kariel had become a shadow of herself, and now only held on because her parents, daughter and cousins carefully weighed her with responsibilities aimed at delaying her Fade. Exhaling in the same manner as her cousin, Vilya offered

"I'll be bringing a report to my mother's mother and father personally. Do you want to send a letter with me for Mother?" Glorfindel swallowed, but remained silent, so she pressed

"Mother left Gondolin after you fell. She was surprised to find she was carrying me, and we've been fighting with her to stop her from Fading since." Finally, he nodded. Satisfied, she swept out, deciding to return for the letter before she left rather than intrude on Kuilaith's family.

-

Half a day later, Vilya rode out to the Bastion, a tower within the Greenwood where most Silvan elves not in Thranduil's guard resided. Instead of going to find her mother's mother and father, she scrambled to the room with the tapestries of Gondolin, Doriath and Hollin. Kariel, resting today as she often did, greeted her daughter with a slow nod, jerking when Vilessariel apologized for dismissing the rumours she'd heard, of a Glorfindel in Imladris. Confused, Kariel took the letter Vilessariel extended, sitting back down when she realized what it  _said._ By the time she'd composed herself, her mother and daughter had returned, and were pushing her to go, to see if this was truly Glorfindel.

Rather than protest, Kariel made her way to Erebor, somewhat terrified but determined. If this was her husband, she needed to know. Even if he sent her away, she needed to know, that fighting the Fade had been worth it. Her arrival was met by her much younger cousin, who guided her to the throne room to present herself to Thorin, King Under the Mountain, and the Lords and Ladies of Lothlorien and Imladris. Flicking her hair over her shoulder, Kariel set her expression, willing her strength to remain.

Ignoring the Elf who looked  _very_ like her husband, Kariel noted that Thranduil was there, and a human man had a place of honour, but not like those she'd been told were the family of Tauriel's betrothed. Bowing once, she rose to announce crisply

"I am Kariel, daughter of Sylvariel and Ithilias, once of Gondolin and wife of Glorfindel." She paid attention to Thorin Oakenshield and the others, but she was aware of the male who was more then likely her husband, the longer she studied him. He was studying her rather intently in turn. When the introductions were done, she turned to the baby of the clan and beckoned, calling

"Come, show me the best parts of this Mountain, sister-kin." When Tauriel glanced at her dark Prince, she scolded lightly

"Tauriel, daughter of Telendiel and Emminas, are you dallying?" Snickering when the younger she-elf realized none of the others knew what she meant by 'dallying', Kariel walked away, throwing her head back to laugh when her kinswoman voiced a query about talking that way.

-

Glorfindel stared after Kariel. That was definitely his lady. She'd never been a high lady like Galadriel or Celebrian, but her parents obviously commanded some respect, if the way Thranduil had reacted was any indication. He'd been fairly certain when he saw her, but now, having heard her laugh and tease another, having heard her say 'sister-kin' as she used to when talking about Teleriel, Nendiel and many other female relatives just... it was so  _her._

And having gotten the chance to ask what the whole naming thing had been when Vilessariel showed up, Tauriel had explained it was family tradition to be tested, and that she had been questioned on Kili's lineage, and that her response dictated the family's action. Then she'd explained that Kariel's name meant both hers and his. It had ached, that he'd believed she was gone, his Kariel, gone and safe in the Undying lands only to find she had been fighting the Fade the entire time. He had a daughter that not only looked like Kariel, but was married to a Galadhrim Marchwarden, had looked at him without blame when he explained.

Hesitating, Glorfindel wondered if he should go to her. Before he got too deep in contemplation, Elladan came up and told him to go. To see. Balin had told him to do so also, both with the bitter understanding of loss. So he'd gone. Now he stood before her, nervous in a way he hadn't been since before the Balrog. Kariel met his eyes, her soft, pretty violet meeting his mistily.

That first kiss would've had him on his knees if she wasn't clutching at him, her velvet heat welcoming him as she moaned.

**Author's Note:**

> I may write more on Glorfindel and Kariel or Haldir and Vilessariel if there is interest. Aside from what would happen at Helm's Deep and how it would affect them, I don't see the point, but ask and we shall see. If I write them separately from SH, that will go with the concept I originally came up with. Which was three daughters of Glorfindel: Vilessariel (Vilya), Nenriel (Nenya), and Nariel (Narya), one each for Haldir, Elrohir and Elladan, who I feel were underappreciated. 
> 
> Tauriel and the Firebeard Princess/Witch-King of Angmar: red hair and magic. Unusual for how a Silvan elf is portrayed, I thought, and though I didn't out and out say it, I believe (aside from Evangeline Lily being frustrating) that Silvan choose only one BEING who makes them happy. However, Tauriel hesitated after centuries of prejudice surrounding her.
> 
> Kaotic312: not sure if you'll want to, but feel free to borrow anything since SH inspired this.


End file.
